Schools

Darion Evans, High Achieving Southland College Prep Student-Athlete, Volunteer to Receive Sheriff Tom Dart’s Youth Service Award


RICHTON PARK, IL—(ENEWSPF)–December 8, 2015—When Darion Evans is honored later this month with Sheriff Tom Dart’s Youth Service Award, it will be another in a string of awards and citations for this high energy 17-year-old student-athlete.

A senior at Southland College Prep Charter High School in Richton Park, where he has earned a 3.8 GPA (grade point average on a 4.0 scale), Evans has been accepted by a dozen colleges and universities and to date has been offered $ 405,000 in merit-based scholarships. He plans to enroll at either Duke University or the University of Illinois Champaign Urbana majoring either in psychology or neuroscience and pursue a career as a neurosurgeon.

“Darion is among several very accomplished and focused Southland College Prep young men who have distinguished themselves in the classroom and on our courts and fields. We’re most encouraged by the significant academic accomplishments of the male members of the class of 2016 and look forward to continued success by Darion Evans and all his classmates in their college careers,” said Dr. Blondean Davis, Southland College Prep’s CEO.

Elected Student Council President for both the junior and senior classes, Evans served as captain of the new public charter high school’s basketball, track and cross-country teams.  He also found time to be captain of the school’s dance team and a member of Southland’s InterAct Community Service Club and its Model United Nations and Media clubs.

He was the first Youth Recipient of the “I Make a Difference” scholarship award from the Village of Richton Park sponsored by Village President Rick Reinbold, 19TH District Illinois State Senator Michael Hastings, 38th District Illinois State Representative Al Riley and Richton Park Village Trustee Monica Holden. Evans also was selected as an outstanding student-athlete for a “Back to School with the Bears” event hosted by U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly.

As a member of the Southland College Prep National Honor Society, he participated in the group’s Walk of Hope and the Feed Our Starving Children project. He is a member of the National Society of High School Scholars.

An active member of his community, Evans has served in media ministry and homeless ministry at the Victory Apostolic Church, participated in Chicago State University’s Pre-Engineering and Science Program and the University of Illinois at Chicago Health Science Enrichment Program where he earned a citizenship award and a bronze medal.

Evans has served in a variety of positions for the Village of Richton Park, in administrative posts for Building Safety Day, Community Clean Up and at the Parks & Recreation Department as a score keeper and performed janitorial duties.

Evans also has volunteered for Easter Seals, collecting donations and raising awareness for Autism.

“As a volunteer, I feel a sense of accomplishment and gratitude that is indescribable because I notice that it’s contagious, for my friends want to volunteer, too, and we see what a difference it can make in people’s lives,” Evans said.

Among Evans’ more memorable high school projects was his role in organizing a staff vs. student basketball game fund raiser for Autism Awareness that netted $1,500 for the charity and a broken foot for his father, Daniel, the school’s Director of Technology, who played in the game.

Source: Southland College Prep


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